Many Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners found that it was important to communicate during the program design phase with organizations and individuals that will collect or supply data for the evaluation. In this way, the involved individuals and organizations understand why the data is...
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Though potentially challenging, establishing relationships for sharing energy consumption data is critical for evaluating program impact on energy and cost savings. Many Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners found success by approaching utilities during the program planning phase, or at...
Programs that have developed strong and lasting partnerships have done so by identifying shared goals and seeking ways in which programs and partners can mutually benefit by advancing each other's missions. Even if partners don’t have the same goals as your program, you can still try to find ways to...
Without an incentive, homeowners and contractors may limit themselves to smaller upgrade projects. Programs in search of more energy savings have found that some homeowners already interested in an upgrade are amenable to a bigger upgrade when coupled with better financing terms or larger rebates...
Homeowners do not benefit from access to financing if they don’t know about or understand options available to them. Contractors are often the primary transaction point for selling upgrades, and many programs have found that ongoing collaboration with contractors through sales training, regular...
Developing new energy efficiency loan products requires financial expertise and resources that not every program has available or that might not even be necessary. Finding and promoting existing energy efficiency loan products, such as loans that may be offered by a local credit union, your state...
All residential energy efficiency programs have found that outreach needs to be repeated to connect with and remind potential participants about program offerings. As marketing gurus note, the majority of people need to be exposed to a product message at least three times (on separate occasions) to...
Complicated loan and program application processes have deterred many potential customers from following through with an upgrade. Delays and overly burdensome requirements raise barriers to participation. Many programs have successfully employed strategies to reduce the number of requirements that...
Words have power, so many programs decided to use language with positive associations. For example, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program encouraged use of the term "assessment" instead of "audit" to avoid the negative connotation of a tax audit. "Home energy upgrade" sounds more positive than...
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Maine,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Efficiency Vermont
This webcast covers information about designing effective incentives to drive residential retrofit program participation.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light's Power Wise,
GreenFaith,
Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
PSE&G Whole House Energy Efficiency Program
This webcast explores how faith-based organizations and their partners have used energy efficiency as an organizing motivator to upgrade the institutional building and then members' homes.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks,
Efficiency Maine,
BetterBuildings for Michigan
This peer exchange call summary focused on sales training assistance programs for contractors.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
EnergyWorks
This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how a residential energy efficiency program can work with, for or as utilities.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
This peer exchange call summary focused on loan product structure and using market research to identify candidates for upgrades of occupied commercial buildings.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Presentation on five steps to building a profitable contractor base. The steps include sensible program design and administration, certification and credentialing, communicating with contractors, contractor requirements (business vs. trade), and training and sales support.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Bedford,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergySmart Colorado,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Green Madison,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2),
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New Hampshire BetterBuildings,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton
This presentation includes the brands, website addresses, and images for most of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Long Island Green Homes,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit
This paper, which is based on detailed case studies of nine existing state and local programs, presents recommendations for energy upgrade programs to facilitate industry growth and support contractor business models.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
Silicon Valley Energy Watch Program,
The Home Energy Rebate Option,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
Efficiency Vermont,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
The objective of this document is to help state and local governments understand the role of program administrators (PAs) and assist them in developing successful partnerships with utility and other energy efficiency PAs. The majority of this paper presents information on partnering and leveraging current energy efficiency activities. However, it also includes information for governments in areas without active PAs, as well as an appendix with a case study describing how state and local governments can fill gaps and administer programs in the absence of a PA.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
Be SMART,
Beacon Communities Project,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
BetterBuildings for Greensboro,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Camden POWER - A Better Buildings Initiative,
CarrboroWISE,
City of Indianapolis Better Buildings Program,
Chapel Hill WISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Alliance for Energy Efficiency (Cafe2),
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
DecaturWISE,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergyFit Nevada,
Energy Impact Illinois,
EnergySmart,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Huntsville WISE,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
Michigan Saves,
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Richmond Regional Energy Alliance (RREA),
ShopSmart with JEA,
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF),
Small Town Energy Program (STEP),
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC),
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)
This publication summarizes some of the incentives offered by Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
This presentation describes the brand, messaging strategy, and campaign tactics used by Philadelphia EnergyWorks to reach its target audience.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
This presentation describes the New Jersey Clean Energy program and lessons learned on community engagement as a driver of demand.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
This presentation provides an overview of New Jersey Clean Energy's approach to contractor engagement, including contractor participation requirements, procedures for quality assurance and quality control, production incentives, training procedures, and an online contractor portal.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
This is a sample request for proposals (RFP) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for public information and marketing support.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
In this video interview segment, Liz Robinson with EnergyWorks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, talks about the faith-based partnerships EnergyWorks developed to help promote the program.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
EnergyWorks' phased marketing campaign appeals to Philadelphia homeowners based on the current weather conditions.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
Philadelphia EnergyWorks helped sustain future programs by sharing marketing insights and program data with a local utility partner.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
Outlines Philadelphia's EnergyWorks program's use of low-interest loans to incentivize homeowners by tying the interest rate to the number of energy efficiency measures incorporated into the home.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative
This case study discusses strategies that Fayette County, Pennsylvania used to provide Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification and business skills training to aspiring energy efficiency contractors.